Universal joint.



W. J. BARKER & L. E. GUTTZEIT.

UNIVERSAL JOINT- ATION FILED WZZZcbm Bar/Yer OK I I q law'sl. .G vifg at a ass Paitented June 27', 1916.

D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. BARKER AND LOUIS E. GUTTZEIT, OF PONTIAC, MICHIGAN UNIVERSAL JOINT.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WILLIAM J. BARKER and LOUIS E. Gu'rrznrr, both citizens of the United States of America, residing at Ponwhich is free from many of the defects of constructions heretofore used.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the joint; and' Fig. 2 is I a cross section on line H Fig. 1.

.A and -B are respectively the drive and driven shafts in alinement with each other.

C is a head secured to one of the shafts,

preferably the drive shaft A, by suitable.

means such as the tapered socket D fitting a tapered portion of the shaft, and held from be employed for transmitting the torque from the drive to the driven shafts. To this end the driven shaft B has mounted thereon a polygonal member I similar to the polygonal hollow head G, and provided with a plurality of sockets J in which balls K are placed. There arealso provided a series of members L: having sockets M for engaging the opposite sides of the balls K, and flat surfaces N for engaging the adjacent face .of the polygonal socket member G. 'The member I is secured to the shaft B, preferably'by engaging the polygonal portion 0 thereof, being clamped by a nut P engaging a threaded end of the shaft. There is also preferably placed. a spring Q between the end of the shaft B and the head C for yield ably pressing the shaft B outward.

The construction as just described is one, the members of which are inexpensive to manufacture, and in assembling all that is Specification of Letters Patent.

necessary is to place the balls in .the sockets of the member I, then place the members L in engagement therewith and longitudinally engage them with the polygonal socket member G. It will benoted that the balls K are arranged upon opposite sides of the radius which is perpendicular to the surfaces of the polygonal members I and G, and consequently they will transmit the torque in either direction of rotation by compression stresses passing therethrough. At the same time the drive and driven shafts are free to moveuniversally in angular relation to each other, as the members L may slide upon the adjacent faces of the polygonal member G, and the members I and L can vary their angular relation by movement of the balls'K in the sockets J and M. 'The members I and L, as well as the balls, are hardened, and the spherical sockets J and M are preferably,made of PatentedJune 27, 1916. Application filed my 29, 1915. semi'm. 31,127.

slightly greater radius than that of the balls, so as to leave clearance for the feeding in' of lubricant, and also to permit the temporary deformation of the balls under compression stresses. As the friction of the opposite sockets on the ball will seldom be in exact balance, the balls:v will be progres sively rotated, so that the wear will be distributed uniformly over the surfaces there-J of and will be but a slight factor. If at anytime the wear on the balls becomes ex- 1 cessive new ones may be inserted at small expense.

The interior of the socket member G is packed with suitable lubricant, which is retained and is protected from dust and dirt by a suitable flexible boot B. This may be secured to a collar S clamped upon the'member G by the bolts H, while its opposite end is suitably secured to the shaft B.

While Iwe-have described the specific construction of balls for transmitting the torque from the drive to the driven member, it is obvious that the essential feature is the automatic adjustability of these members,

which might be obtained from forms other I than true spheres. 0

What we claim as our invent on is:---- 1. A universal joint, comprising dr1ve and driven shafts, a polygonal socket memberon one of said shafts, a similar polygonal head upon the opposite shaft within said socket member, and balls intermediate said polygonal'head and polygonal socket, member offset from the radius perpendicular to v the opposed faces of the polygonal head and torque by said socket member, and balls intermediate said polygonal head and said members in contact with the face of the socket member, said balls engaging said spherical recesses.

3. In a universal joint, thecombination with drive and driven shafts, of a polygonal socket member secured to one of said shafts, a polygonal head within said socket member secured to the other shaft and having its several faces in parallelism with the faces of the-socket member, spherical recesses in the faces of said polygonal head, members having corresponding spherical recesses and fiat faces slidably engaging the faces of said polygonal socket member, and balls engagingsaid spherical recesses intermediate said polygonal head and said slidable members, adapted to transmit torque from one to the other.

4. In a universal joint, the combination with a drive shaft and a driven shaft, of apolygonal socket member secured to one of said shafts, a polygonal head within said socket member having parallel polygonal faces and secured to the opposite shaft, balls engaging spherical recesses in said polygonal head, members having corresponding spherical recesses engaging the opposite sides of said balls and provided with flat faces which are slidably engageable with the faces of said polygonal socket, the assembled balls and slidable members being polygonal socket member secured to one of said shafts, a polygonal head having parallel faces Within and spaced from said socket member and secured to the other shaft, said head having spherical recesses in the faces thereof and upon opposite sidesof each radius perpendicular to said faces, members having corresponding spherical recesses and opposite flat faces, and balls intermediate said members having spherical recesses and opposite flat faces and said polygonal head, engaging said spherical recesses and spacing said members from the head t be slidably engageable with the corresponding faces of said polygonal socket member. F

6. In a universal joint, the combination of a drive and a driven shaft, a polygonal socket member secured to one of said shafts, a polygonal head secured to the other shaft arranged within said socket member with its; faces parallel toand spaced from the corresponding faces of the latter, said head being provided with spherical recesses on opposite sides of each radius perpendicular to the polygonal faces thereof, balls engaging said spherical recesses, and members having corresponding spherical recesses engaging the opposite sides of said balls, being spaced thereby from said polygonal head, and having flat faces longitudinallyand slidably engageable with the corresponding faces of said polygonal socket member.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. BARKER. LOUIS E. GUTTZEIT.

Witnesses:

Con C. TILLSON, Bnssrn GIL oE. 

